We’re officially a nations of dog owners, with around three million pups living in the UK - that’s one in a third of all households.
There are 221 different breeds of pedigree dog according to the UK Kennel Club, alongside numerous crossbreeds.
They all have slightly different temperaments, talents and personalities - although it should also be added that every dog is an individual that may not display all the attributes common to their breed.
Different breeds of dog also tend to have very different physical attributes and strengths, including how strong their bite is – a measure that has been studied by scientists.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these breeds will be more likely to bite – and individual dogs will vary greatly in strength – just that you need to be extra-careful to train these dogs properly as they have the potential to cause serious harm.
So, here are the 11 breeds that research has shown to have the strongest bites, in pressure per square inch (psi). For reference the average human’s bite is around 162 psi.
For the purposes of this article we are only using breeds recognised by the UK Kennel Club, meaning such breeds as the Cane Corso (700 psi), Dogo Canario (540 psi) and Dogo Argentino (500 psi) are not included.
1. Kangal
The Kangal has the strongest bite of any breed of dog - a hefty 734 psi. This makes them particularly good at guarding livestock from predators in their native Turkey, but the breed is also known to be a great family dog if properly trained, getting on particularly well with children. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Dogue de Bordeaux
The Dogue de Bordeaux has a fearsome bite strength of 560 psi - although this breed is notoriously so lazy they are unlikely to often use it. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Mastiff
The Mastiff's (also known as the English Mastiff) impressive 552 psi bite has been used to great effect over the years in everything from guarding villages to hunting wolves. Now they are more often gentle giants used as family dogs. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Leonberger
Another gentle giant, the Leonberger is most likely to use its 399 psi bite to chew sticks, toys - and maybe its owner's shoes. | Canva/Getty Images